


No Good in Goodbye

by HarpforHim



Series: The Rex Files [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, CC-1010 | Fox Needs A Hug, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives is a Good Bro, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano Friendship, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker Friendship, CT-7567 | Rex Deserves Better, CT-7567 | Rex Has Issues, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex is So Done, Episode: s05e20 The Wrong Jedi, Episode: s07e09 Old Friends Not Forgotten, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt CT-7567 | Rex, POV CT-7567 | Rex, Post-Episode: s05e20 The Wrong Jedi, Protective CC-2224 | Cody, Protective CC-3636 | Wolffe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28074672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarpforHim/pseuds/HarpforHim
Summary: “No wonder she didn’t come to say goodbye.” Pain was exploding through his knuckles before Rex could even take a moment to consider the consequences of his actions. It was only when Anakin stumbled back into the wall, that Rex realized exactly what he’d just done.Ahsoka’s sudden departure leaves Anakin, Rex, and the 501st in tatters. Only time will tell if they can get it all together again.And only time will tell if Rex will ever see his best friend again.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-6116 | Kix & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & CC-3636 | Wolffe, CT-7567 | Rex & Torrent Company
Series: The Rex Files [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972765
Comments: 46
Kudos: 176





	1. Where’s the “Us” in Trust Gone?

**Author's Note:**

> I had this little idea floating around in my mind and just had to put it on paper. ;)

To say all this business with the Senate and the Jedi Temple was making him uneasy would've been the understatement of the millennia.

It was driving him positively _mad._

Rex had never been good at politics to begin with, but he knew a corrupted official when he saw one—and Adjutant General Tarkin was exactly that.

His fist curled just thinking about the man.

_How he ever came to power is beyond me._

The satisfaction Rex had felt when Tarkin lost the trial due to last minute evidence brought forth by Anakin was unlike any he'd ever felt.

And his relief was palpable. Because it was over now. All of it. The blame, the guilt, the deceit, and every shade of gray in between.

Over.

Now, all he had to do was wait patiently for word to arrive from his Commanding Officers. From Anakin and Ahsoka, who still had a lot of Jedi business to sort out at the Temple.

 _Soon,_ he told himself as he ran track exercises with Fives and Jesse. _Any moment now._

But a moment turned into an hour, and an hour crawled into a day.

Then two.

And Rex only had so much patience stored away in his mental reserves. He wasn't Cody, for crying out loud.

As the morning dawned on the third day since the conclusion of the trial, Rex got ready as usual. But before he checked on his troops, he waited.

_Any minute now…_

After lingering in the mess hall of the GAR headquarters for the better part of twenty minutes, the captain heaved a sigh.

"They're probably still working things out." Rex looked up just in time to watch Fives sit down across from him, setting two trays on the table.

"I already ate," Rex said, pushing away his brother's offer of breakfast.

Fives shot him a look. "Nice try."

"Fine. I'm not hungry, then."

The ARC raised a skeptical brow and Rex sighed.

"I just… Don't you think someone would've contacted us by now? I'm sure even _Cody's_ heard something from General Kenobi."

Fives shrugged. "Like I said, they're probably still working things out."

"For three days?"

Another shrug. "You know how the Jedi are, vod. They're very… thorough. Careful. Deliberate in the way they do things."

"Yeah." Rex glanced down at his food. The mere sight of it was enough to turn his already unstable stomach.

_Ahsoka would've called if something was wrong._

_Right…?_

_So, nothing's wrong. It can't be. She hasn't called yet._

_She hasn't called…_

"Yeah," he repeated, gazing back up at Fives. "Well, if I don't hear something from them in the next five minutes, I'm gonna comm the commander myself."

"I'd say, give them time."

"I've _given_ them time, Fives! They've had plenty of time! You can only keep someone in the dark for so long before they start to worry."

"So, you're worried, then?"

"Aren't you?"

After a moment, Fives sighed and nodded. "So much for trying to raise your spirits."

Rex quirked a brow. "Is _that_ what you were doing?"

"Well, you have been rather mopey these past few days." And before Rex could protest, Fives continued, "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"And I just want to make sure _Ahsoka's_ all right."

Fives shook his head. "She never deserved any of it. Couldn't the Jedi sense that she was telling the truth? I mean, how did you and I know that she was in the right beyond a shadow of a doubt but the Jedi didn't? That doesn't make any sense to me."

"None of it makes sense," Rex agreed. "But it's over now. Everything will go back to normal soon. Well, as soon as I get word from the general."

"You really think so?"

And for the first time, a dark shadow passed over Rex's hope. _Would_ everything go back to normal? He hadn't gotten to talk with Ahsoka very much since the whole conspiracy had begun, but he knew that tensions were still high between her and General Kenobi. Even between her and Skywalker…

_No. They'll get past it. They have to._

Because he didn't know what he'd do if they _didn't._

"Things seemed all right after General Kenobi faked his death," Rex pointed out, keeping his voice low just in case any of the 212th boys happened to be within earshot. Even now, it was still a sore subject.

"Yeah," Fives scoffed, "after six kriffing _months_."

"Six months is better than never, Fives."

"I guess."

Rex couldn't suppress the smirk that tugged at his lips. "Now who's being mopey? Look, why don't I just contact the general and put all our worries to rest?"

"What if he's in the middle of something?"

"Fives, we can't keep going on like this. It's not fair to the 501st—to his _troops_. I'm sure everything will be cleared up once I talk to General—"

"General Skywalker, sir!"

Rex whipped his head up at the sudden cry.

And there was his general, standing at the front of the mess, Kix already at his side and conversing softly with him.

_The general…_

The sight of the Jedi should have reassured Rex, should've filled him with relief and joy. But he felt none of these things as his brain went on autopilot and drove him towards Anakin.

There was an expression on the general's face that Rex found he didn't want to decipher; a slump to his shoulders that sent shivers down the captain's spine.

When he finally stopped, standing a mere three feet away from Anakin, Rex studied the man.

And his stomach dropped.

"General Skywalker," he said finally, though he could feel his throat rapidly begin to dry out. "I was just about to comm you."

Anakin just nodded and Rex was acutely aware of all the brothers gathering around them. Curious, yet keeping their distance.

"I figured it was time to check in on you guys," Anakin responded, his tone laced with a tired bitterness Rex couldn't quite pinpoint. "Are you… You're all okay?"

"We're fine, sir." And Rex felt a wariness seep into his bones. Best to tread carefully… "Are _you_ all right? It's been a rough week…"

"You can say _that_ again," Anakin muttered.

And Rex didn't like how the man was avoiding his eyes. _Why?_

"Well… We're here for you, sir, if you need anything."

The Jedi just nodded.

While Anakin's gaze rested for a moment on the floor, Rex glanced at Kix. The medic shook his head ever so slightly, but the captain couldn't quite decipher its meaning.

It was only with the general's reaction to the next question that Kix's warning dawned on Rex.

"And Commander Tano?" Rex asked, shaken by the way Anakin's head whipped up in an instant. "Is she all right?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Rex noticed Kix trying to swallow a sigh. Regret began to eat him alive, clawing and gnawing at his heart and mind.

And not for the first time, Rex desperately wanted to take his words back. But something was clearly wrong here.

_And I'm tired of being left in the dark._

Anakin's voice was that of a soldier utterly defeated by his worst enemy and it crushed Rex's chest. "I don't know."

"Sir…?" Rex prompted when it didn't look like Anakin was going to elaborate. "General, what's wrong?"

Silence.

"What happened?"

Anakin's eyes flickered, his hand flexing.

"Sir," Rex's voice was firm now, demanding a response, "where is Commander Tano?"

"She's gone," Anakin finally admitted, voice breaking as his fist curled.

And for one long, dreadful minute, Rex's world went dark, spinning seemingly out of control as the floor beneath his feet shifted. He couldn't catch a proper breath, couldn't fill his lungs.

_Gone._

_Gone…?_

_Where—?_

"Where, sir?" He asked finally, trying to keep his voice steady.

Anakin shrugged helplessly, shaking his head. "I don't know."

There wasn't anything Rex wouldn't give to have his helmet on in that moment, to be able to hide his face away. To keep his torrent of emotions concealed from his troops—from his general.

"She…" Anakin cleared his throat and Rex noticed the way the Jedi wouldn't meet his eyes. "She left the Order."

_What?_

It was all he could do not to gasp openly, not to heave for air. For some form of relief from this pain.

A murmur of shocked curses and desperate questions filled the room, but Rex's voice seemed to be the only one Anakin heard.

"She _left_? Sir… why?"

Another shrug. "She said she had to figure things out on her own… Without us… Without me… She was hurting. _Kriff,_ we hurt her so bad!"

_Not we, sir, the Jedi hurt her._

"And I just let her go. Why did I just let her _go_?"

"Sir," Rex said, swallowing down his swirling emotions, "you can't force her to stay. You can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to." Anakin inhaled sharply. "You… Sir, as hard as this is, you made the right choice in letting her go."

"Did I really?"

 _I don't know._ All he knew was that this was a wound that would be a long time in healing. But they would get through it. _We_ _ **will**_ _get through this. Together._

"So, she already left?" Fives' tone was the most sorrowful it had ever been since they lost Echo at the Citadel.

"I'm sorry, Fives, but yeah. She's gone."

"Without saying goodbye?" Tup stole the words right off Rex's tongue.

"She didn't come to say goodbye?" Anakin's confusion was all-too-real.

"We haven't heard anything from her since the trial, sir," Rex clarified, then watched as his general's frown deepened.

"Maybe there's still time?" And there was Fives, always the optimist. "If she just left, maybe we can catch her and—"

The way Anakin shook his head this time around made Rex wish had hadn't gotten out of bed that morning.

"She left the day of the trial. She's long gone by now. I can't—" Anakin sucked in a breath. "I can't even _feel_ her. She's closed herself off to me, to Obi-Wan…"

But Rex wasn't listening anymore. He was too busy trying to wrap his head around his general's latest confession.

_She's been gone for two days…?_

_Two kriffing days?_

_And no one said anything about it?_

_No one told us…?_

"Sir," Rex began carefully, trying in vain to keep his tone under control, "you mean to tell me that our commander left two days ago and you didn't think to tell _us_?"

The shock in Anakin's eyes, the sudden realization made it clear that he hadn't thought of this until now. And that should've made Rex feel a bit better, that the Jedi had simply forgotten in his grief.

But it only stoked the fire rising inside of him.

Because Anakin had _forgotten_ about them.

He'd _forgotten._

"Rex," he began, his sorrow and regret palpable, "I… Kriff, things have been so chaotic and stressful lately. I didn't… I didn't think…"

"You didn't think that _maybe_ we would want to know that our commander left us, for _good_? That _maybe_ she means more to all of us than you originally thought?"

"No, Rex, I know how much she means to you—"

"And yet, you didn't think to come to us the minute—even the _day_ —she left? Not even a quick comm call or a short comm message telling us what happened? A simple 'Ahsoka's left the Order and she won't be coming back or saying goodbye, just thought I'd let you know' would've been better than nothing!"

"Rex…" Kix's voice was laced with warning.

"I know! All right?" Anakin exclaimed. "I know I messed up! Believe me, I _know!_ Do you think I wanted this to happen?"

"I don't care about what you wanted to happen, sir, I care about what you _did._ You can't control Commander Tano, but you _are_ in control of your _own_ actions. And right now, you have a lot to account for."

"I don't have to account for anything!" Anakin snapped suddenly, flinging his hands into the air. "I didn't ask for this! I was _grieving_ , Rex! I still am!"

"And I'm not?"

"Rex!" Kix hissed and Rex felt a restraining hand latch onto his wrist.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

He was breaking so many rules, but he couldn't bring himself to care—couldn't make himself stop.

He was spiraling, caught in a void of grief that refused to let him go.

"No, sir, I _don't_ , because _someone_ didn't think it necessary to share this heartache with his troops. We _count_ , sir. We _matter._ And we deserve to know when our commander packs up and leaves right out of the blue because you and your _Jedi_ couldn't get their act together."

His world was crumbling before him and he was helpless to stop it. Kix said something else, but he couldn't hear, couldn't see. All he knew was _Skywalker._

The man who trusted his captain with his deepest secrets. The man he thought he knew, thought he could trust…

"Well, sue me for trying to have a moment to myself, a moment to grieve _my_ lost Padawan!" Anakin shot back, his infamous temper matching Rex's blow for blow.

"If I wasn't so kriffing _sick_ of the messed up justice system we're all fighting and _dying_ to defend, I would take you up on that offer! Maybe it would get you to see the world beyond yourself and your own needs!"

A dark veil fell over the Jedi's eyes. "No wonder she didn't come to say goodbye."

Pain was exploding through his knuckles before Rex could even take a moment to consider the consequences of his actions.

Because how dare he?

How _dare_ he?

It was only when Anakin stumbled back into the wall, clutching his face… When Kix shouted both their names—Anakin's in concern, Rex's in anger—that Rex realized exactly what he'd just done.

_Serves him right._

This was his first thought, followed almost immediately by: _What have I done…?_

_What have I_ _**done** _ _?_

Fives was shouting something at him, but Rex couldn't hear, couldn't think. His mind was reeling, his chest constricting the point that if he didn't find some reprieve soon, he would suffocate on his own foolish actions.

Strong hands grabbed at his arms, but Rex shoved them away with a strength he didn't quite feel.

Then he was running. Running from the mess hall like Ahsoka had from the Republic Military Base. Though he knew what he was feeling now was just a fraction of the desperation his little sister had felt less than a week ago.

_What have I done?_

_What have I_ _**done** _ _?_


	2. Where’s the “Soul” in Soldier On?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter titles and title from the Script song “No Good in Goodbye.”

Wolffe was the first to find him and he commed Cody the second he laid eyes on his wayward vod'ika.

Rex didn't seem to notice him in his haste to get to the south exit, and Wolffe had never appreciated the minimal traffic of that particular area more than in that moment.

He worked his legs faster, knowing it would be bad for all of them if he called out to Rex. _Who knows who might be listening? Who might come for him if tipped off…_

Five feet from the door, Wolffe finally managed to lock a hand on his brother's arm. The fact that Rex hadn't heard him coming was a tribute to his distress.

_Or maybe he was just ignoring me, the di'kut._

"Rex!" His hissed as his vod spun around. "What in the Seven Corellian Hells do you think you're _doing?_ "

The more Rex struggled to break free, the more Wolffe tightened his hold.

"Everyone is looking for you!" And that wasn't a lie, per se, it was more of a… necessary exaggeration. Cody and Wolffe _had_ been looking for Rex for the past twenty minutes, and he was pretty sure most of Torrent was doing their part by scouring the barracks.

The spark of fear that flashed across Rex's face told Wolffe to choose his next words carefully. Though the 104th Commander has never been very good at that sort of thing…

"Where are you even going?"

Rex shrugged, trying simultaneously to wrench his arm from Wolffe's desperate grip.

"You don't _know?_ Well, you'd better start figuring it out, vod'ika!" After a quick glance around to make sure they were still alone, Wolffe continued, hoping to make his little brother see the true gravity of the situation. "Do you know what can happen to you if Skywalker presses charges? Do you?"

Rex paled and began to struggle harder, forcing Wolffe to lock a steadying hand on his other arm.

"Do you have any idea what you've _done?_ You physically assaulted your commanding officer! A _Jedi!_ Did you think there wouldn't be any repercussions to that?"

"I…" Rex gasped. "I didn't think tha—"

"That's right! You didn't _think!_ You never _think,_ vod'ika! And now—!" Wolffe had to swallow down his next words. He was working himself into a near panic, and that was _not_ what his brother needed.

He _needed_ help.

And Wolffe found himself wishing it was Cody who had discovered the fleeing captain first.

_Cody is always so much better at these things…_

"I…" Rex began again, voice laced with an anguish Wolffe could tell his brother was trying to conceal. "I didn't…" And when Rex squeezed shut his eyes, Wolffe felt his chest constrict. "She's gone, Wolffe… And he… He didn't even _tell_ me!"

"So you punched him in the face?" Wolffe said, though his tone was a bit gentler now.

Again, Rex fought to get away, though his attempts were feeble. "She didn't—" A choked sob bit through the thick cloud of air surrounding them and Wolffe felt his fear heighten. "Wolffe, she didn't even say goodbye…"

When he felt Rex's legs begin to buckle, Wolffe tightened his grip and pulled his brother close. Soon, they were both on their knees, with Wolffe doing everything he could to try to quiet Rex's strangled sobs.

"Vod'ika," he hushed, "you've got to calm down, all right? What if someone hears you?"

It didn't seem as though Rex really cared about that and he began to wonder how in tune with the world his brother truly was at the moment.

They needed to get out of the open, to go someplace hidden. Someplace _safe._

Because even in the GAR headquarters—the closest thing clones had to real home—Wolffe never truly felt safe. There were too many security cameras, too many admirals going in and out of the complex. Too many nosy senators trying to get their foot in the door, attempting to snatch up one of the reins that controlled the one-of-a-kind clone trooper army.

"Come on," Wolffe whispered, glancing about once more and pulling Rex back onto his feet. "We've gotta go."

"Where?" Rex whispered back, voice raw. The sight of his tear-stained cheeks cut at Wolffe's heart and he gripped his vod all the tighter.

"To my quarters. We need to figure this out… And we _will_ figure this out, all right?"

_I'm not gonna let anything happen to you._

Rex nodded, his sudden exhaustion radiating onto Wolffe in waves.

_I swear it._

Even if he had to fight the system until his dying breath, he would _not_ let the Kaminoans take Rex away from him.

_But the Republic nearly took Tano away from Skywalker,_ he cruelly reminded himself as he led his brother through the least trafficked halls. _And then she left anyway._

_And Tano was a_ _**Jedi** _ _._

_We're just clones._

Wolffe squeezed Rex's hand tighter and swallowed. _We're just_ _ **clones**_ **…**

"You know," Rex said softly and Wolffe heard him sniffle lightly, "I didn't mean to do it… I didn't… I… I didn't mean to."

"But you _did,_ " Wolffe pressed, unable to look back without completely losing it. He was supposed to be the strong one, the fierce brother, the one who defends and protects.

The one who does _not_ fall apart in a hallway.

But this was all getting to be too much. First that ridiculously long chase, then the trial, now _this_?

_Why, why,_ _**why?** _

Why did things seem to be getting harder all the time?

Every kriffing _day?_

"I didn't mean it… I got so carried away and—" Another sniffle had Wolffe realizing how childlike his little brother sounded in that moment. They were soldiers, sure, bred and raised in a place that didn't allow for childlike behavior. But most of these troopers… _They're just kids at heart, aren't they?_ It made Wolffe physically ill when he thought about their beginnings and where they all were headed in the end. "You believe me… Don't you, Wolffe?"

Wolffe felt a sigh brush past his lips. "Of course, I believe you, vod'ika. But not everyone will. And the security cameras don't lie."

_They also don't have audio. Remember what happened to Tano…_

_No! No, this isn't like that! Skywalker will understand. The Jedi won't—_

_Oh, but they_ _**did** _ _. They condemned one of their own because of some stupid bit of evidence that didn't even give the full story._

And how much less would the courts view a clone trooper as opposed to a Jedi Padawan?

_He won't stand a chance if Skywalker presses charges._

_There will_ _**be** _ _no trial._

_Not for a clone._

With grim determination, Wolffe punched in the keycode to his commander's quarters and pulled his brother into the only safe haven he knew. Well, safe for the moment.

_Even if Skywalker doesn't do anything,_ Wolffe continued to remind himself. _Even if he's somehow_ _ **okay**_ _with getting pummelled in the face by his own captain, the Kaminoans will never stand for it. The_ _ **Senate**_ _will never stand for it._

Because if word got out about this, Rex would be seen as dangerous, as one who questions authority and can't follow orders.

_Good soldiers follow orders. They_ _**don't** _ _punch their general's._

And if word got out about what happened in the mess hall that morning, not even the Jedi would be able to protect Rex from the consequences of his actions.

_Because no one wants a volatile clone running loose around Coruscant._

Wolffe gritted his teeth as he motioned for Rex to sit down on his bunk. His brother collapsed atop it, falling back against the wall with a dull _thud_.

_Every clone is volatile._ _**Skywalker** _ _is volatile._

_We're soldiers._

_You can't fight and win against an enemy by being nice, sweet, and calm._

And if the Senate caught wind of that awful scene in the mess, every clone in the GAR would be put under the proverbial microscope.

Wolffe couldn't let that happen. He _wouldn't_ let that happen.

_Cody…_ He would wait till Cody arrived. Then, they would all figure out the best course of action together.

_And if your best doesn't work?_

Wolffe pulled the chair out from his desk and eased himself into it, eyes never leaving his vod'ika.

_Then we might as well all abandon ship right now._

Because if the _Chancellor_ learned of what occurred in his precious GAR's headquarters today…

Wolffe suppressed a shiver, for Rex's sake.

_If,_ he realized with a start. _If…_

_If_ was good.

_If_ meant they had time.

_If_ meant nothing was set in stone.

_If_ meant Rex had a chance.

He sucked in a breath and checked his comm messages. Cody was on his way.

_Finally._

Because _if_ also meant that there was a chance they could fail.

And if that happened, Wolffe was certain they would all crash and burn.

Simply because they were soldiers.

Wolffe clenched a fist and shifted his gaze back to Rex, who'd closed his eyes and was muttering something unintelligible.

_And good soldiers follow orders._

Sometimes, Wolffe grew tired of being a good soldier.

And if that meant sacrificing his brothers for the sake of appeasing the Republic, then they might as well just decommission him now.

Because he would rather die than let them take his brothers away from him.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that… _But one can never be too careful these days._


	3. There’s No “Fair” in Farewell

When Cody had heard from Kix that Rex had up and punched Skywalker in the face, he almost didn't believe it.

He _couldn't_ believe it.

_This is_ _**Rex** _ _we're talking about._

Loyal to the end.

Something must have really set the captain off, he reasoned. Yet, some part of him wouldn't truly believe it until he heard the confession from Rex himself.

He couldn't get to Wolffe's quarters fast enough.

_I just_ _ **had**_ _to be the one to search the far end of the complex,_ he grumbled to himself as he finally reached the right hallway. When it came down to it, he found he couldn't punch in the keycode fast enough.

The room was dark save for a dim lamp on Wolffe's desk, which cast an eerie glow on the 104th commander's face.

Cody took a deep breath as he read the pain and confusion his brother's eyes were trying so desperately to hide.

Then, his gaze fell upon Rex.

His vod'ika sat on Wolffe's cot, his head leaning limp against the wall, eyes closed. His mouth moved slightly, but no sound filled the air.

_Kriff._ It was worse than he'd thought. _Who am I kidding? I knew this wasn't going to be a picnic on Naboo._

Come to think of it, he'd never _had_ a picnic on Naboo, or anywhere else for that matter, so who was he to compare? _I'm sure it'd be nice though,_ he thought as he approached his little brother.

"Rex?" He asked gently, trying to gauge the captain's mental state.

Rex just groaned.

"Rex, you've got to talk to me, okay?"

"She didn't say goodbye, Cody," he whispered after a moment. "Why didn't she…?"

"I don't know, vod, but you need to get past that for a minute so you can talk to me about what happened with General Skywalker."

The captain cracked open an eyelid. "You sound just like Wolffe."

"Thanks a lot," Cody heard his brother mutter from his place at the desk.

"Well, he's right. This is something you can't avoid, vod'ika. Now, you need to tell me _why_ you punched General Skywalker in the face."

Rex opened his eyes the rest of the way. "He's furious, isn't he?"

"I haven't spoken with him yet, but I'm assuming he would be, yes."

A defeated sigh punctured the air. "I didn't… _Stang!_ I don't know why I did it, Cody. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just… _did_."

"I think you know why you did it, Rex," Cody pressed. "Now, come on."

By that time, Wolffe had moved out from behind his desk and was now leaning against the front of it, arms crossed. Cody didn't even have to guess all the possible scenerios the commander was no doubt running through his mind.

_And all end in disaster if Rex doesn't start doing some serious talking right_ _**now—** _

"I trusted him," Rex began quietly. "I trusted him not only with my life, but with everything else. He didn't… Cody, Ahsoka left days ago and he didn't even _think_ to tell us until today!"

"All right," Cody replied, careful to remain cautious with his words, "those are valide points. But you've been upset by General Skywalker before and you've never done anything like this."

"This…" Rex shrugged. "It feels different, somehow. Like everything is falling apart. In the past, the general and I were always able to talk things out, to come to terms with each other and fix what was broken. But this…? I can't fix this, Cody. I can't make her come back. Anakin can't make her come back." Another shrug, weaker this time. "I don't know… I don't know what came over me."

" _I don't know_ won't stand up in any sort of defense, vod. You know that, right?"

Rex nodded, bringing a hand to his forehead.

"Is everyone really looking for me?" he asked, voice still as soft as ever.

Cody shot a quick accusatory glance at Wolffe, who just shrugged.

"Wolffe and I were," he said, turning back to Rex, "and so is Torrent."

"Who else knows?"

"That's anybody's guess, but I think it's safe to say that, beside Wolffe and I, only those who were in the mess hall know. For now." Rex winced at those last words. "Which is why we need to plan our next moves carefully."

"What's the point?" Rex sighed. "We all know how this is gonna end. The same way it did for Commander Tano, only worse."

"Not if we can sort things out with General Skywalker and keep it all on the downlow."

"The real question is," Wolffe butted in, "how much has Skywalker told the Jedi? And will he end up pressing charges?"

"I think Kix currently has Skywalker in the medbay," Cody said, but to Rex's visible relief. "So that's not an issue yet. What _is_ an issue it what you're going to do to fix this and how you're gonna go about it."

"What can I do? Talk to him?" Rex scoffed. "Because that went _so_ well the first time."

"Well, if you have one of us go in your place, you'll just look like a coward. You need to put on your best front for this, vod'ika, if you want it to end well."

Rex inhaled sharply. "What's the point? We know how this is gonna end. No matter what I say, the security cameras will always see things differently. Or did you forget about Commander Tano already?"

_Kriff._

"No, I didn't forget. But this isn't gonna end like that. Your story isn't going to end like hers did, okay?"

A slight nod.

"Good. Now, let's get down to business—"

"I just…" Rex shook his head and Cody felt his heart fracture. "I just don't understand why she couldn't even come to say goodbye… After three years… You think you know someone…"

_Right. First order of business._

Cody pulled himself onto the bunk and slung an arm around his vod's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Rex. Truly, I am."

"She's never coming back, is she?"

The commander swallowed. "The future is… _uncertain…_ "

Rex snorted. "Did you hear that from General Kenobi?"

"Among others. But I can't tell you that she'll come back because I don't know. I can't see that far ahead. However, I _do_ know that what happened with Commander Tano on the day of the trial didn't set the future in stone. Just because she's gone now doesn't mean you have no chance of seeing her again."

As Rex's breathing became labored, a tell-tale sign that he was trying his best to keep his emotions at bay, Cody found himself wishing for the first time that they had all followed the teaching of the Jedi.

The teaching of no attachments. Because wouldn't that make everything so much easier?

If Ahsoka could walk away without so much as batting an eye, without completely turning tail and running back to her family, well…

_That rule has to count for something._

_Right?_

Then why did Obi-Wan struggle so much in the wake of Duchess Satine's death? Why did it take Skywalker so long to tell his own troops of his Padawan's departure?

And why was it that General Plo Koon always seemed so overly-protective of the 104th? Why he had a painting of himself with his troops on every gunship…

Cody shut down that part of his brain for the time being—the part that questioned, the part that saw the potential changes and spent more time than he had available trying to plan a way he alone could put such changes into action.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, cursing the rawness of his voice. He held Rex tighter to his until their shoulders were pressed together. "I'm so sorry, vod'ika."

_We'll fix this…_ Cody exchanged a glance with Wolffe. _I promise we will._

There were dozens of burning questions setting Cody's brain aflame. How much had Rex confided in Wolffe, if at all? How much would he willingly confide in Cody?

_And how much will I have to pry out of him?_

How much indeed?

One thing was certain, for Cody, at least. They wouldn't be backing down without a fight.

As long as they could somehow stay within the confines of protocol. Even dancing along the edges could work…

Because Cody had seen what happened to Tano. They would _not_ be going about this like she had, never in a million years.

_Rex isn't going to end up like Commander Tano._

_I won't let him._

They couldn't let word of this get out. When Cody thought of what Tarkin might do if he got his boney fingers on that security footage, he shivered.

_The security footage!_

When he jolted upright, Rex followed.

"What is it?" Wolffe asked, his eagerness palpable.

"I think I might have an idea…" _But no._

_No._ It would break so many rules… _Well, not_ _ **so**_ _many rules. Not if it's done discreetly._ Not if Cody pulled all the right strings and didn't end up tangled in his own deceit.

_Like Commander Tano…_

_No!_ Never like Tano.

Because Cody would succeed in this where she hadn't. And he knew exactly who to go to.

"What is it?" Rex pressed, furrowing his brows.

Cody set his jaw, eyes ablaze. "I think I need to make a call."


	4. I’m the “Low” in Lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas my lovely readers!!! Thank you so much for all your wonderful support! It means the world to me!
> 
> Enjoy and have a blessed holiday!
> 
> P.S. Also, I’ve found I’ve developed a headcannon where Cody is Fox’s closest brother in the whole GAR. I don’t know how that came to be, but in all my writings (some of which I haven’t posted here yet) I always tend to make Fox and Cody interact with each other. So, I suppose this chapter just solidifies my theory. XD

The caf was by far the worst the breakroom had to offer, but it was all Fox had to keep him going, and his break didn't give him enough time to find a decent cup of the stuff at one of the nearby shops.

_Thanks a lot, Chancellor._

He was certain Palpatine wasn't directly in charge of his breaks, but it made him feel better when he had someone to blame.

Three gulps in, the commander abandoned the crappy cup of caf in the nearest trash bin. It wasn't doing anything for his taste buds. And besides, his mind was already buzzing enough from the last security reel he'd reviewed before his break. He didn't need caf to wake him up.

_Not after_ _**that** _ _._

Shock was not a strong enough word to describe his initial reaction. Appalled was more like it. Even then, Fox couldn't find the words to articulate his emotions.

And for the second time in a week, he cursed the lack of audio in the GAR security systems.

Fox shivered as he sat back at his desk. The morning hadn't even truly begun and he was already being forced to relive the terrible events of the Tano Trial.

And here was his little brother, now with the potential to be put under the scrutiny Skywalker's Padawan suffered beneath for far longer than she should have.

_Oh, Rex…_ he thought with a sigh, prying off his helmet and steepling his fingers. _Why…?_

For the fifth time, he replayed the footage, studying every detail, searching for something _—anything—_ that could be used in Rex's defense.

Nothing.

_A whole kriffing lot of_ _**nothing** _ _!_

_Just like Tano's security video._

The sudden chime of his comlink startled Fox more than he would ever admit to anyone. His first thought was that the Chancellor was calling him about the security footage. Or worse, that womp rat Tarkin. For an Adjutant General, he was good at his job, but as an attorney, well… The man needed to get his facts straight before he took them to trial.

_You weren't exactly Tano's biggest advocate, now were you?_

_No one was. Except Skywalker and Rex._

_Skywalker…_ Fox took one last look at the footage before answering the call.

"Commander Fox, here." _Please go away._

"Fox," a familiar voice began, "it's Cody."

_Right._ He should've known.

"Is this line secure?" his vod questioned, voice low.

"Now it is," Fox returned, knowing full well what Cody was calling about. "Shoot."

"I'm guessing you've already seen the latest security footage from this morning?"

"Which one?"

"Don't play dumb, vod, now's not the time," Cody snapped. "The one from the mess hall at 0'800. Have you seen it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I saw it." And what Fox wouldn't give to turn back the clock just a few hours.

_Or maybe even a few lifetimes ago. Yeah. A new life could be nice._

"I need you to delete it."

It was the utterance of these words that brought forth Fox's second shock of the day.

For a moment, no words came. Commander Cody—uptight, rule-following, no-nonsense Cody—was asking him to violate protocol and _erase_ valuable evidence?

_Evidence…_

_Everyone always needs evidence, don't they?_

"Cody," Fox began, "you know I can't do that."

"Why not? No one else has seen it yet, have they?"

_No…_ "That's not the point. There are rules to be followed. I can't just erase security footage everytime someone asks me to."

"How about if a vod asks you to?"

"That's not fair." Fox took a quick glance around to make sure he was still alone. _It's your office, di'kut, of course you're still alone!_ "Do you know what will happen to me if I get caught?"

He could almost hear the way his brother slowly shook his head on the other end of the line. "Self-focused to the end, right Fox?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When's the last time you thought about anyone besides yourself?"

Fox rolled his eyes. They were _not_ having this conversation. "I think about the citizens of Coruscant all the time."

"I'm talking about your brothers—your Jedi."

"In case you've forgotten, some of us don't _have_ Jedi." _Some were bred to fight while others were molded into a glorified police force._

Fox heard Cody inhale— _slowly._

"Look," he began, voice firm, "we both know what's going to happen if anyone else gets ahold of that footage. Remember Dogma?"

" _Remember Tano?"_

_I try not to._

"Yeah," Fox replied through clenched teeth, "and a dozen other shinies like him." _Get ahold of yourself!_ "But Rex isn't a shiny, he's a captain. When's the last time you heard of anyone disposing a trooper of high rank?"

"When's the last time you heard of a captain pummeling his general in the face?" _Game point._ "There's a first time for everything, Fox. I hope you haven't gotten so comfortable over there in the Senate and the Center for Military Operations that you think decommissioning is a thing of the past."

"I see more kids get dragged off to be decommissioned than you ever will!" Fox snapped, unable to control his bubbling temper any longer.

"Then you know how important it is for that tape to disappear."

_Kriff him._

For being one of Fox's closest brothers, Cody certainly knew how to drive him up the wall ten times over.

"Doesn't the vode mean anything to you?"

And wasn't _that_ guilt pusher? Well, Fox wasn't going to feel guilty for something he had no control over. He was done with that.

"Cody, you're not being fair—"

"Life isn't fair! What ever gave you the idea that it was? Look, if Rex goes down for this because you had the power to save him, so help me, I will see you shunned from every battalion in the GAR."

_As if that would make things different than they practically are now._

"So now you're blackmailing me?"

"I'm trying to make you see reason! Make you see past yourself—"

"Contrary to popular belief, I can see past myself just fine."

"Then why aren't you doing anything?" The desperation in Cody's voice only skyrocketed Fox's anxiety further.

"Because I _can't!_ " And the head of security couldn't remember the last time he'd shouted at a brother with such force.

The line went silent; Fox held his breath.

_Now you've done it._

Cody's reply, when it finally came, was soft and subdued, understanding in a way Fox could never hope to be. "I know. I know, I just thought that… Well, maybe just this once…?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fox sighed. "Codes, you know I can't."

"All right," and the reply was so dejected, so devoid of hope that it prompted Fox to continue.

Continue with more words he knew he'd come to regret.

"Just… Okay, I can't delete the footage, but I might be able to hide it… At least for a little while. I'll see what I can do."

"All we need is a little time," Cody responded, his relief palpable.

Fox told himself that the spark of hope reignited in his brother's voice would make everything worth it.

But he still wasn't so sure. Not yet. Not when there was still so much room for so many things to go wrong.

Not when there was still time to shatter his brother's heart.

"I'll try my best," he promised.

"That's all I ask of you."

"Is there anything else?" Fox swallowed, reining in his emotions at last. "How is he?"

"Rex or General Skywalker?"

"Do I sound like I care about General Skywalker right now?"

A muted snort filtered through the tiny speaker. "Rex is… all right. For now."

"Yeah, _that_ was reassuring."

"He was close with Commander Tano. Her departure hit him harder than anyone could've predicted."

"Wait, she's gone? Where?" _Why don't people tell me these things?_

_Because they expect you to figure out on your own._

_Like you always do._

Right.

"The same day as the trial. I haven't heard it from any of the Jedi yet, but let's just say that's the reason we're having this comm call."

_Right._

Fox bit back a curse before replying. "Well, I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, vod."

"Sure," Fox muttered as the channel closed, leaving him to his tormented thoughts once more.

"I hate my job."

And for once, he was glad that the security cams had no audio.


	5. I Can Take This Mistake, But...

Anakin was acutely aware of only two things as he sat atop one of the many bunks in the medbay: the relentless throbbing of his swelling eye, and the apprehension that practically _bled_ off his medic—no matter how hard Kix was trying to conceal it.

The way the medic moved around reflected none of his usual determination. He was messy, jerking about as if his mind wasn't fully on his work.

In fact, Anakin noted with no small amount of concern, Kix almost seemed _fearful_.

"Do you want ice?" Kix's question startled Anakin a bit. Normally, the medic wouldn't ask the patient's opinion, he would just take charge and do his thing.

No questions asked.

"Uh…" Anakin blinked, trying to make sense of it all. "Yeah. Sure."

The ice pack was thrust into his hands before he could even finish, as if Kix had been aching to give it to him the whole time.

"All right." Kix paused a moment to look at his scanners. "Just give me a minute and I'll have a bacta patch ready to fit this specific kind of injury."

"Kix?"

But the medic didn't seem to hear him as he jerked about, frequently consulting his scanner and a large datapad lying on the table.

"With this," Kix began again, checking his scanner before whipping a specialized bacta patch out of a nearby medical machine, "your eye should be healed in no time."

When Kix hesitantly approached Anakin, the Jedi held up a hand, backing himself further into the chair.

"Kix, stop." And just like that, the medic froze. "What's up with you?"

"Sir?"

Anakin made a sweeping gesture. "I mean, what is this all about?" He shook his head before Kix could even open his mouth. "I don't need some special bacta patch. Look, this ice pack is doing a great job all on its own."

"If I might be so bold, General… I think the bacta patch is your best bet. It will stop the swelling."

"So will this ice pack."

" _And_ it will heal the wound much quicker than a simple bag of ice."

"Kix, this isn't a wound," Anakin pointed out. "This is a bruise. And I'm sure this ice pack will be just fine. Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

As Kix's eyes snapped back down to his scanner, Anakin resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Why did it seem everything was falling apart all at once? First Ahsoka…

_No. No, don't think about that yet._

_It's too soon._

Then Rex.

Now, Kix.

_But…_ Anakin realized with shame, _what happened with Rex was my fault._

_Kriff! Everything was my fault! Ahsoka, Rex, all of it._

Ever since she left the Order— _Left_ _ **me**_ —all Anakin had been able to center on was the fact that she was being selfish. All he wanted to do was scream at the Council, scream at Obi-Wan for not doing anything to help her. For persecuting an innocent Padawan. And not just any Padawan, one that some of them knew well and we're close with. _Obi-Wan and Plo Koon should've known. How could they think she was guilty?_

But _no._ He couldn't think about this right now. He had more immediate issues to think about.

Problems _he'd_ created. _Because_ _ **I**_ _was selfish, vape it!_ _Selfish and insensitive._

Because _of course_ Rex missed her too. _Probably as much as I do._

_Heck, what's up with Kix is probably my fault too—_

_Oh…_

In a single, clarifying moment, Anakin saw the trooper in a new light.

"Kix?" He repeated, lowering the ice pack so he could get a good look at his friend. "Are you all right?"

A beat. "Of course, sir."

"Because you're not acting like it. Come on, what's wrong?"

Anakin could've sworn a slightly indignant expression took hold of the medic's face, but only for a second or two.

"Nothing, sir."

"Kix," Anakin pressed as the nervous trooper checked his scanner for the umpteenth time, "you know I can read your Force signature, right?"

Kix stiffened at this.

"And would you quit looking at that thing?" Anakin said, trying to keep a bit of humor to his voice so as not to startle Kix further. "I think you already have the information you need. It's just a black eye. I've had worse, believe me."

Silence settled over the room.

And Anakin waited.

_Kriff everything about this…_ It was so messed up. This day, this war, this _life._

_I was supposed to be going on peacekeeping missions with my Padawan, not fighting wars._

_Maybe if things had been different, she'd still be here._

Kix inhaled slowly, then let the breath out again.

_Maybe if she'd had a normal apprenticeship, we'd be sparring in the Temple right now._

Kix inhaled once more and Anakin prepared himself. This would be the part of his day when Kix chewed him out for being reckless. _And I was, wasn't I?_

_Maybe…_ Anakin swallowed. _Maybe if I had taken better care of Rex's emotions… If I hadn't been so reckless and…_ _ **selfish**_ _, vape it! Maybe I wouldn't be sitting here right now about to get my head chewed off._

"Sir," Kix said at last, his voice so soft and subdued, Anakin almost had to strain to hear, "if you can read my emotions, then you don't need me to tell you what's wrong."

Anakin took a slow breath of his own. "I can read your emotional pattern, Kix, not your mind. Well, I mean, I _can,_ but I'd never do that without your permission."

"You might as well, sir. It doesn't really matter, anyway. Unless my thoughts would have any sway on your resolve to court-martial the captain."

_Court-martial the…_ Anakin blinked. Hard.

_What?_

Kix's words sounded too formal, as if he'd rehearsed them a thousand times over before this moment.

Anakin's head was spinning as he tried to piece it all together. _Rex. Ahsoka. Kix. Court martial. Black eye._

_Fear. Pain._

Those two little four-lettered words were the common factors of every piece of this maddening puzzle.

And as he continued to figure it all out, Anakin found himself wishing he didn't have to. Wishing he could turn back time, handle the scene in the mess hall a bit better.

But there was no reliving the past. All one could ever hope to do was make the most of the time they had now.

So, Anakin cleared his throat. "A court martial? Kix,"—and his chuckle felt as forced as it sounded—"whatever put that idea into your head?"

Kix shrugged, his feelings of helplessness swirling about him clear as kyber in the Force. "I don't know, sir. I just figured it was the best case scenario. And you always taught us to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

"Okay…" Anakin went on cautiously, deciding to play Kix's little game for now and see where it would lead him. "So if a court martial is the best case scenario, what's the worst?"

The medic's eyes flew to his scanner, then he seemed to catch himself and shift his gaze to the floor.

Anakin toughened his tone a bit more, if only to remind the trooper of the conversation at hand. "Kix?"

"Sir, I don't—"

"What _is_ it, Kix?"

And when the medic met his eyes, Anakin had to force himself not to start. The amber orbs were so hard, yet so vulnerable. Confident, yet afraid.

Anakin might go so far as to use the word _terrified_.

"Decommissioning, General. The worst case scenario is getting decommissioned."

"Decommissioned?" Anakin shook his head. "How is that even in the same league as a court martial?"

"It's not, sir, but—"

"And why would you even _think_ that a soldier as good as Rex would be decommissioned?" Anakin worked to suppress a shiver. He'd always hated the way the Kaminoans had taught the clones how to use that word.

It reduced his troops to being seen as—and seeing themselves as—merely equipment or weapons of war, to be removed from service when they became no longer useful.

Even the word _executed_ would've been better. _At least that way, the men would be seen as just that: men. Soldiers to be executed for crimes, not broken equipment to be decommissioned._

The thought brought his rage to a boil.

Kix looked at him with a sudden confusion clouded by a touch of wariness. "Because he's… volatile, sir."

He said the word as if it were the most well known fact in the galaxy, a secret everyone was in on except Anakin.

Who simply stared at the medic in shock. "What the—?" Anakin shook his head. "Rex is _not_ volatile. _I'm_ volatile, just ask Obi-Wan or Ahs—Well, just ask anybody. What? You think that I'm going to court-martial him just because he gave me a little black eye?"

"It's actually a huge black eye, sir, and… well… He assaulted a general." Kix said this as if it explained everything.

Yet Anakin was still in the dark.

"Because I made him mad!" After the way Kix started slightly, Anakin took a deep breath. _Calm. Be calm. This is what got you here in the first place._ "Look, what happened wasn't Rex's fault. It was mine." Kix's jaw dropped, but Anakin ignored him and pressed on. "I said things that hurt him, that cut him deeply. And we were both hurting to begin with. I acted out of anger; I antagonized him."

_I just can't seem to stop losing friends…_

"Sir?" When Kix spoke again, Anakin realized with a pang that he'd trailed off; left the medic hanging.

Anakin sighed, his gaze drifting from Kix onto his lap in guilt and shame. "I just… I'm not… Well, I haven't been myself since she left, you know? She was… It's like a part of me is missing now and I don't know how to fix it. I can't talk to Obi-Wan because he's hurting too." A quiet scoff pushed past his lips. " _And_ I'm mad at him. And the Council. And just everyone, I guess, except you guys. I thought I could… You know, I thought it'd be better to come see you guys for awhile. I felt like I was suffocating in the Temple. But, well, we all know how _that_ turned out."

He heard Kix swallow, then shuffle his feet a bit.

When he glanced up again, Anakin noticed a swirl of emotions glazing the medic's face. Most notable among them being hurt, sympathy, and a dash of fear.

_Fear. Kriff it._

"Kix, listen to me, and listen good, all right?"

Kix nodded, now fully attentive.

"I am _not_ going to court-martial Rex. And I'm _definitely_ not going to have him decommissioned. Did you hear that? This," Anakin continued, gesturing at his eye with the ice pack, "does not warrant the execution of _anyone._ This was a mistake, an accident. I pushed Rex too hard and he cracked. End of story."

Again, Kix nodded.

_So, why doesn't he look very reassured?_

Swallowing, Kix finally spoke after a heavy stretch of silence. "Thank you, General. That means more than you'll ever know…"

" _But…_ " Anakin prompted.

"But… Well, if I might speak freely, sir?"

"Always, Kix."

"Sir… Just because _you_ aren't going to decommission Rex doesn't mean someone else won't."

"What do you mean?"

Kix inhaled sharply. "You didn't want anything to happen to Commander Tano, yet she still ended up a fugitive. Most people don't see clones the way the Jedi do. If word gets out about all this, I'm afraid you won't be able to do anything to stop them."

" _Who_ , Kix?" Stars! Anakin was sick and tired of guessing games!

"The Senators, sir," Kix replies, voice as solemn as a funeral. "The Kaminoans…"

_Oh, kriff…_

"I won't let that happen." And Anakin startled both Kix and himself by the sheer amount of fierce rage in his voice. "I promise."

The look in Kix's eyes was one Anakin would never forget. He'd seen the same helpless defeat reflected in Ahsoka's eyes moments before her meeting with the Council. _Meeting. Ha. What a joke._

"You might not have that choice, sir."

Anakin felt all the air leave his chest. It was happening again. All of it. _Just like Ahsok—_

_No! No, nothing's happened yet. No one knows. No one's seen what went down in the mess hall._

Anakin gulped, pushing himself out of thechair, his discarded ice pack falling to the floor with a _thud._

_There's still time…_ He was vaguely aware of Kix following at a distance, but Rex was the number one trooper on his mind.

Whipping out his comlink, Anakin dialed Fives' private channel.

"Fives!" He began before the ARC could even get two words out. "Did you find Rex?"

The hesitation on the other end was enough to drive Anakin more insane than he already was. _Come on, come on!_

Muted words were exchanged, words Anakin couldn't quite make out. The voices were identical, but Anakin knew instantly which one was Fives and which one Jesse.

"Uh," Fives said after another muted scuffle, " _we_ didn't find him, sir."

"Who did, then?"

More silence.

"Fives, talk to me, here."

"Sir, I don't—"

"Look, if you want my help keeping this whole incident off the radar, you're gonna need to start talking. _Now!_ "

Another muted exchange filtered through the speakers. Shorter this time.

"Commander Wolffe found him, General. Last I heard, he was with both Commanders Wolffe and Cody."

"Where?" Anakin was running now, being careful not to plow any innocent troopers down in his race to reach his captain.

"Wolffe's quarters, sir."

_Kriff, I don't even know where that is!_

"Thanks, Fives. Skywalker out."

As he closed the channel, he realized he must have looked as lost as he felt because Kix ran up alongside him and jerked his head forward.

"Follow me, General. I'll get you there."

Anakin felt his lips twitch, though he couldn't quite manage a full smile. "Thanks, Kix. Thanks."

He only hoped he wasn't too late to fix his mistake.

_I can't be too late. Not again._

Because he wouldn't fail Rex like he'd failed Ahsoka.

_Never again._

_I promise, Rex._

_I promise._


End file.
